APIs Matt Holliday the preferred option for the Red Sox in left field?

If I had to assess my biggest weakness as a baseball fan, it's that I lack the appropriate patience to hang on every blog entry, newspaper story, radio analysis piece and moment of speculation on TV during free agency.

I wonder about the legitimacy of every unnamed source. I question which stories were planted by agents. I look for clues to see which stories were pitched to reporters by team officials looking to polish their image, rather than legitimately share what their organization is wondering.

And, more importantly, I'm certainly not the only one.

The latest example of free agency unfolding in maddening fashion is the leaked discussions about who the Red Sox are interested in becoming their left fielder for 2010.

Yesterday morning, FOX Sports suggested that the Red Sox were interested in signing Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday instead of Jason Bay in part because they will net additional draft picks if Bay signs somewhere else. The details:

If the Sox lose Bay and sign both Holliday and free-agent shortstop Marco Scutaro, they not only will receive the same number of selections, but also might end up in better draft positions.

Signing Holliday would cost the Sox their first-round pick. Signing Scutaro, a lower-ranking free agent, would cost them their second-round selection.

But, if the Sox lose Bay after offering him salary arbitration, they will gain two picks — a likely first-rounder and the sandwich pick.

Obviously signing Holliday, a Scott Boras client, won't be cheap or easy, but the draft pick math actually does deserve some attention. At least until Nick Cafardo with The Boston Globe said it didn't yesterday afternoon. The details:

The Red Sox are still trying to work out a deal to retain Jason Bay as their left fielder, according to a major league source familiar with the talks.

The source indicated Bay is still a top priority, which runs counter to a report by FoxSports.com this morning suggesting that Matt Holliday is the Red Sox' preferred target.

So, there you have it. The Red Sox are interested in Matt Holliday, until they're not. Future draft picks could play a role in which player they try to sign more, unless they don't. And Jason Bay remains a "top priority," unless he isn't.